The classroom trailers common to school campuses nationwide are being taken off the grounds of a Phoenix school, Roadrunner Elementary.

Southwest of Northern Avenue and Interstate 17, the Safari building at Roadrunner Elementary School is one of the nation's first LEED-certified school facilities to be funded by a blossoming non-profit, the Green Schoolhouse Series of Carlsbad, Calif.

The "green" building, valued at $2.4 million but paid entirely by donations from various companies, will open this year, replacing classroom trailers and adding energy-saving appliances, solar panels and recycled materials that the builder believes will qualify it for the top LEED certification, platinum.

LEED certification, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is recognized in the building and design industries as the hallmark of the most energy-efficient, environmentally-sensitive structures in the nation.

Buildings can qualify for platinum, gold and silver ratings (from best to third-best), for design and construction that includes energy-efficient products and recycled construction materials. The Green Schoolhouse Series hopes to build LEED platinum-certified classroom and community buildings at campuses all over the country -- and give trailers the boot.

Principal Karen Menaugh said Roadrunner was chosen from 11 Valley schools that applied for the all-expenses-paid project because the school has reduced electricity usage and promoted recycling.

Green Schoolhouse Series and its partners are involved in another LEED building project for one other Washington Elementary School District site, Orangewood Elementary School, near 19th and Orangewood avenues in Phoenix.

Projects also are planned for Rio Salado College, and nationally, at campuses in Chicago, San Diego and Seattle.

Portable problem

The Green Schoolhouse Series was founded in 1998 by Jeff Zotara and his father, Marshall Zotara, who own the public-relations firm Cause & Effect Evolutions, also in Carlsbad, Calif.

After helping on various school-improvement projects, Jeff Zotara said he and his dad noticed a trend: Portables were parked on many of the campuses where they had renovated schools.

An estimated 300,000 portables are in use at campuses nationwide, according to a 2011 report by the Modular Building Institute, an industry group.

Portables are supposed to provide temporary relief for persistent problems such as overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating structures. For cash-strapped schools, they have become fixtures.

"We realized these portables were built as a temporary solution, but they end up permanent," Jeff Zotara said.

A 2004 study on classroom portables by the California Environmental Protection Agency found that portables can aggravate health problems in schoolchildren with conditions such as asthma and allergies.

Green lesson

Zotara said Safari at Roadrunner Elementary has some features that can teach children about technology, sustainability and the environment.

Those include a garden, and what the kids and teachers are calling "The Truth Wall," a 2-by-2 wall covered with plastic glass that's a window into the building's internal organs, including its Aquatherm polypropylene piping and electrical wiring.

Zotara said unlike copper piping for plumbing, Aquatherm's piping produces no residue, and is therefore safer for the environment.

The building, which will be 6,200 square feet, will feature a wellness room, library, a multipurpose room that will include some computers that the local community can use after school, and space for elementary-level classes to work on their STEM studies -- science, technology, engineering and mathematics. A project partner, DeVry University, is training teachers to incorporate more STEM studies into their lessons.

Safari also will have a 30 kilowatt solar system by Empire Solar Energy, which will produce an average of 52,224 kilowatt hours of power in a year -- roughly 50percent of the school's electricity needs.

The Zotaras have built a network of companies that support the Green Schoolhouse Series' projects around the country, with this caveat: The buildings must be built for free, with donated materials and parts, donated labor, and involve community volunteers for tasks such as landscaping and assembling playgrounds.

To draw volunteers and big donors, Green Schoolhouse Series is working with another Carlsbad non-profit, Brighten A Life, whose mission is to improve learning environments for poor kids.

Stefanie Vallas, a spokeswoman for the Zotaras' Cause & Effect Evolutions firm, said Greenhouse Schools Series projects are a competitive opportunity for construction and design firms to showcase their skills and products, as they would in a model home.

This building under construction on the grounds of Roadrunner Elementary School in Phoenix will be one of the greenest school buildings in the country, organizers say.

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Green schoolhouses

Contests: Schools and their supporters can learn more about competing for one of the new green schoolhouses by contacting the CEO and president of Brighten A Life, Barbara Carpenter, at bcarpenter@brightenalife.org, or by calling 760-431-1500.

Organizers said they need more volunteers, including professional workers such as electricians, to help with projects such as the Roadrunner Elementary Safari building. To help, contact Green Schoolhouse Series in its Carlsbad, Calif., office at 760-431-5400.